Solomon Islands Inspiration Scheme

By Melinda O'Brien - The Body Shop Geelong Manager


Participants brainstorm elements of good customer service and business signage.

When asked to put pen to paper, in this case fingers to keyboard, and tell of my recent experiences in the Solomon Islands, I am at a loss for words. Now I can hear those who know me, sneer and scoff, however I do find it difficult to emotionally and descriptively connect you, the reader.

Applying for the manager’s inspiration scheme for the second time, I did not think I would be lucky enough to be chosen to represent The Body Shop and my store yet again. My last inspiration scheme was in the Solomon Islands in 2005, a rich and rewarding experience in many ways humble, transparent and perspicuity.

Arriving in Solomon Islands in 2008 with yet another fantastic Body Shop team, had mixed emotions running through my mind. The landscape was the same, yet it was different to be here again. What would I experience, would I know anyone, would it be as great as last time, would I do a good job, would I have to eat rice again for 7 days? Well I can tell you the experience was amazing, getting to know 48 Solomon Islanders, 4 Body Shop representatives, and numerous CYP, UNDP, and other officals, all in one day was like my family xmas parties. Exhausting!

The Body Shop team worked in partnership with the CYP (Commonwealth Youth Program) and the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) for the week in various degrees of climate, inspiring, facilitating, and befriending our fellow islanders to dream bigger, learn more, expand their minds, and let them know it was ok to allow self esteem to flow as freely as the cooling bush lime drink.

Each day we worked to a flexible agenda, allowing time for ideas to be grown, shared, and expanded upon. The participants walked in barefoot, kayaked across rough waters, opened businesses and took piccaninny’s to school each day and arrived before class, just to believe in what we, The Body Shop team had to offer was going to change their way of life. Not knowing they were changing our way of life. Going through many elements and strategies of business planning, we encountered all types of people within our class, the clown, the operator, the strategist, the idealist, the talker, and the friend, mostly we encountered gratitude.

Solomon Islands have close to 87 different languages spoken on over 900 tropical islands, 6 of those being major islands, which have been around for 5000 years, named after King Solomon, having discovered gold believed to belong to the king himself.

The only language we discovered was one of friendship. The Solomon Islanders have a saying, "we are not very good at saying hello, but we are great at saying goodbye". The Islanders are very shy, reserved, and quiet, but don't let that fool you, once they get to know you, you will have a friend for life. All of the Body Shop team have been in constant contact with the participants from our workshop, helping to continue the solid foundation of work we helped lay.

I would like to shout out to those who have not yet grabbed hold of this unique opportunity our company has to offer, and say do all that you can to get yourself there, but hey I want a hat trick, so game on!!